Sumeetha Manikandan's Blog, page 9

Chapter 33: The Statue’s Message

Vandiya Devan and Azhwarkadiyan Next morning, Prince Arul Mozhi Varmar, Vandiya Devan and Azhwarkadiyan left for Anuradhapuram before dawn. They sped through the woods and reached the King’s road soon. Vandiya Devan was surprised by the fact that the Prince did not take his guards or an entourage along with him.  Vandiya Devan felt exhilaration, pride and enthusiasm in equal measures all through the ride that morning. He was exhilarated and proud because he had completed the mission...

Chapter 32: Killi Vazhavan’s Elephant

The food was ready by the time the play ended. Steaming hot Pongal and vegetable curry were served to the soldiers on stacks of lotus leaves. As the famished soldiers ate through their meal, the Prince moved around them, chatting and enquiring about their health and well-being. The soldiers who were singled out by the Prince for conversation were elated beyond words while their companions looked at them jealously. Such was his charm! Prince Arul Mozhi Varmar with his soldiers

The prince was ver...

Chapter 31: The Eleyley Singan Play

In the midst of the woods, over a thousand Chola soldiers had camped near a dried pond. The cooks were preparing the night’s meal in giant vessels atop huge pits of fire. The delectable aroma of vegetables and spices was enough to rouse the appetites of our hungry travellers and the soldiers.  The soldiers were busy rehearsing for a play until the food got ready and to their delight when the Prince joined them, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. Their commander had a tough time reigning in...

Chapter 30: A Fist Fight

The horses seemed to gallop endlessly for Vandiya Devan through that long winding forest path that would never end. As they went deep into the dark forest, Vandiya Devan wondered whether they would roam around the forest until wild beasts consumed them. He knew that Thambillai was the last city that the Chola army had captured in this island kingdom. What if this Vaishnavan had betrayed me to the enemies? What if he is luring me towards the enemy? Will he hand me over to them as a hostage?
Tha...

Chapter 29: The Mahout

A thousand years before the present events of this epic, there reigned a King in Elangai named Valahambahu. During his reign, a war raged between the Chola kings and the Elangai forces. Defeated by the enemy, Valahambahu fled from his capital city and sought refuge among the steep mountains of Thambilai. Later he gathered his forces and ousted the invaders from his capital city Anuradhapuram. After he successfully recaptured his kingdom, he expressed his gratitude to Lord Buddha by converting...

Chapter 28: The King’s Road

Will a mad elephant stop in its heel just because Azhwarkadiyan started wielding his staff? But one cannot fault him for lack of trying. The elephant ran madly towards him and Vandiya Devan knew at that instant that this might be the end of the fat Vaishnavan. He picked up his spear again tried to take aim while the two soldiers who had come with them were screaming their heart out rooted in one place. The mad elephant rampaged its through the thicket of trees and bushes and came to the very...

Chapter 27: The Forest Path

The commander of Elangai, Kodumbalur Periya Vellar was an experienced warrior and a leader. He enjoyed a close relationship with the royal family as a kinsman and a liege lord. His brother Kodumbalur Siriya Vellar (Vanathi’s father) had died on the battlefield in Elangai along with his army and since then, Periya Vellar had been itching to avenge his brother. Though he was advanced in age, he requested for the command of Elangai army and was allowed to lead the Chola armies along with the Pri...

Chapter 26: The Dagger that Demanded Blood

Though Vandiya Devan was pondering about the sudden presence of the Vaishnavan, he welcomed him jocularly and said,  “Vaishnavare! You will not believe me when I say that I thought about you just a few moments ago. And the next minute, you jumped into my room.”
“My boy! You thought about me did you? But why do you want to think about a mere mortal like me. It would be more useful to you if you had thought of Shri Rama,”
“Vaishnavare! What a coincidence? I did think of Shri Rama at first. W...

Chapter 25: Mathottam

It’s been a long while since we parted with our hero Vandiya Devan. While our days in Thanjavur dragged on, Vandiya Devan had progressed on foot by the sea shore and had reached the banks River Palavi near Mathottam. As he neared Mathottam, he was amazed to see its green visage with swaying tall trees, just as it was described during the times of Sundaramurthy Nayannar and Sambandhar. The coast of Mathottam was rich in greenery with many orchards and fruit bearing trees. Many trees rose to gr...

Chapter 24: Wax in Flame

Periya Pazhuvetrayar
At first, they heard the screeching wail of the parrot and the gasp of the handmaiden, who was discreetly standing by the garden path. When Kandan Maran saw Periya Pazhuvetrayar striding towards them furiously with a screeching parrot in his hand, he trembled in all limbs. What if he had heard their conversation and the part where he had said that ‘he did not like Pazhuvetrayar’? What if he suspects him of trying to seduce his young wife?
He knew that old men who get marri...